Posts Tagged ‘Frank’

It’s an exciting time for hip-hop heads. Not only is Pusha T releasing his Kanye West-produced Daytona on Friday (May 25), but A$ AP Rocky’s Testing album will arrive as well.

With just a few hours to wait until fans can listen in full, Rocky has revealed the album’s tracklist and production credits — and to say it’s stacked would be an understatement. Skepta and Boi-1da are among the producers involved, while the roster of featured artists includes FKA Twigs, Dev Hynes, Playboi Carti, and Kodak Black. Two of the most intriguing posse cuts are “Brotha Man” with Frank Ocean and French Montana, and “Purity” with Ocean and the legendary Ms. Lauryn Hill. The tracklist also teases the previously released single “A$ AP Forever” featuring Moby and a newly credited appearance from Kid Cudi.

Check out all the newly teased tracks in the Star Wars-style video below.

To hype up Testing even more, Rocky linked up with Beats 1′s Zane Lowe to break down the features on his third studio album.

“I mean, sparring with Frank is the best training you can get,” Rocky said about Ocean. “I love it because it’s art at its purest form and when we are in the studio, aware of the environment, there’s no egos, man. It’s really like just friends, just honestly sparring and trying to make the best of the best, and get the best out of each other.”

He continued, “We’ve got a Kid Cudi feature on there. I was just fucking stoked about that. … Now, finally, within my career, I could just showcase that, and show people, like, yo, these are the people I grew up with, these are the people I admire.”

The feature-heavy Testing arrives on Friday (May 25). The wait is almost over!

Tyler, the Creator has been in a giving mood. In March, he dropped “OKRA” and gave props to Valee after being influenced by his style. Last night (April 11), Tyler decided to show love to Trouble, Drake, and Mike Will Made It by adding a verse to “Bring It Back.”

Over the unorthodox beat, Tyler’s pitched-up voice raps about his lucrative shoe deal with Converse, flexes about his Casio watch, and the importance of investing in stocks. The Golf Wang businessman also finds time to shout-out two of his R&B friends, mentors, and inspirations. Towards the middle of his verse, he lets Solange and Frank Ocean know an important message — “Shout out Solo that’s big sis / Shout out Frankie that’s big bro / Ya lil’ homie running shit no question.”

Before the release of the song, Tyler took to Twitter to describe how the track came together.

“travis ( taco) played me this song last week and the pocket of the snare and kick drum had me like wow,” Tyler wrote. “then i heard the guy rap, trouble is his name, and i was like wow i love this song. i face timed mike will and was like wow this song, and he sent the instrumental and i was like bet, this will be fun.”

A$ AP Rocky’s new single “A$ AP Forever” is perplexing for a couple of reasons. Last night (April 4), the Harlem rapper premiered the song along with “Distorted Records” on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. Rocky dressed in a crash test suit wakes up in a bedroom where masked individuals observe him.

Thankfully, Rocky doesn’t mind being a test subject. He does get to have two phones, keys, a puppy lamp, weed, and a photo of Martin Luther King Jr in his room. If the scientists are grading the young artist on his rapping skills, he did a marvelous job.

Rocky’s mystifying Tonight Show performance only amplifies the incomprehensibility of “A$ AP Forever.” First, the song samples Moby’s “Porcelain,” which will undoubtedly get the ’90s heads excited. Second, the song is lyrically interesting for what Rocky decides to focus on. “A$ AP Forever” is less about the mob being eternal and more about Rocky adjusting to fame, fearing an early grave, and battling dark thoughts.

At least, Rocky admits he and his significant other, “kiss to Frank Ocean and Blonde,” which is highly relatable. After Rocky’s singular verse and chorus, the song gives way to the “Porcelain”-sampling outro.

It is hard to pinpoint where A$ AP Rocky is going musically. Last week, he released the Blocboy JB-assisted “Bad Company,” which is far closer to the popular trap-focused rap of today than “A$ AP Forever.” Before these two tracks, he’s dropped an alternative rock song and one about Uber drivers. Wherever the At.Long.Last.A$ AP-rapper is going, only he truly knows.